LIFESIZEfashion

Hello Life Size Ladies, The question I am asking and answering is.. What’s it like being a plus sized girl? This question may seem abrupt and many may answer well its the same as being a human.. Well Wrong, we often are treated differently whether its social class, race, weight, etc.

The first time I was asked this spontaneous question from a friend. It was my freshman  year in college. We were having a normal conversation. We were talking about back home friends going home for the weekend and assignments that we didn’t start on yet. Out of nowhere, she asked me. What does it feel like being a bigger girl Nia?

She then adds I know you’re very pretty but do you get treated differently. The words DUHHH spread across my mind but I can see she really wanted to know my answer. Since  I usually have this talk with other plus size girls that can relate I already knew my answer. But my friend’s frame was skinny and moderately curvy so I knew I had to break it down in a way she would understand.

Below I will list my reasons I believe its challenging sometimes being a plus size girl.

Being a plus sized girl isn’t easy. Growing up I had to conceal certain things I wore because I was afraid who would say what? I didn’t want to cause too much attention and I normally would stick to colors like black or grey.

1.)Guys.. Guys were a hit and miss around high school and my freshman and sophomore or years of college. Being young you are very vulnerable and having friends at school who weren’t the same size as you kind of made the . “Which friend do you want” game hard.

2.)Clothes.. Clothes were a bit of a hassle for me. I’m not sure why designers thought all plus size woman wanted to wear floral and horizontal lines. But, I’m glad that now that’s changed and now major fashion brands are catering to plus size woman from ages 18-25. It’s a lot easier finding clothes that you actually want to wear.

 

3.)Dating.. Dating is very tricky for plus sized girls because we are unsure if we are being used for some type of trial and error or if the person we are dating is really into us. From the age 17-25 dating, it is a very hard a long process to come across a person who is truly genuine. But, it’s good to keep hope alive. Right..

I want to leave a video below showing the good/ bad things about plus size and how many other women feel about it.

Now, I’m not trying to say there’s all bad but these are the day to day hassles of being a plus size girl in my opinion. Ladies if you have any other things you want to add to the list. And last but not least be happy with yourself this list does define or determine plus size woman please leave a comment below I would love to read them and add on to my list.

 

Hello LIFESIZE Ladies. We are taking a different direction today ladies. I want to talk about confidence and self-love. Being a plus size lady the strongest asset we have is confidence. Being a plus size lady I always thought that my weight would enter the room before I did. Growing up I had to learn and still learn how to accept myself and accept all flaws that make me Nia. The video I picked is about confidence and self-love and addressing the elephant in the room. I always watch this video whenever I feel down about myself or feel I need a little boost. We all have feelings of insecurity, self-doubt, and worry.
Whether you are big or small old or young it’s okay too feel down sometimes and not feel you’re best self. But as long as you remember to get back up and remember who you are that is the most important thing. I choose this video because it shows exactly why you need to have self-love and confidence. If you don’t know your self-worth then who will? The video was published in January, 25th 2016 by BRIANAH MAYBEL. I still find myself going back to the video for more words of encouragement.
This video caught my attention in 2016 around high school. I was feeling a little unsure of my worth and self-confidence transitioning from high school to college. I was scared because I was comfortable. I learned that being comfortable is okay but it’s okay to step outside your comfort zone and this is what I was doing transitioning into a new environment. I sat down and absorb everything that she was saying she particularly said: ” What you don’t love, Somone else will”. Whether if you have rolls, stretch mark a gap extra weight you shouldn’t let that define and determine you that’s apart of you but that isn’t you.I want all my plus size ladies to be confident and know that they are good enough. I know and experienced how it is being teased, feeling unsure and self-pity. I want my LIFESIZE ladies to know that they are good enough. Even when you think you aren’t uplift yourself talk to your family and friends watch this video and other videos about self-confidence until you reassure yourself that you are worth it. I want you guys to watch the video and tell me one thing that you love about yourself in the comment section below and remember “What you don’t love, someone else will”

Hello, My LifeSize ladies, We are here for an exciting new topic today. I want to discuss the  5 PROS & CONS of Fast Fashion. If you’re not sure what fast fashion means I listed the definition of fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.

Now, Before I spoil your evening with your favorite brands that are fast fashion. I want to give you the pros and cons of fast fashion.

Con’s

 1. Short Product Life Cycle

2. Imitation of Original Product

3. Low-Cost Producers

4.  Reputation Risk

5. Labor

To emphasize the cons of fast fashion the life cycle of fast fashion is very short there can always be wear and tear after wearing a dress or pants from a fast fashion company it may last a day and it may last a year.

The problem with fast fashion is that it imitates the original copy runway designs and trends. So, in a way your stealing but also helping it be affordable?

The labor of making fast fashion is humongous. Fast fashion, you have to come out with clothes rapidly so warehouses and factories produce at a fast rate.

Pro’s

1. Different Styles and Trends in a short period of time.
2. It’s Fast
3. Something New
4.  Rapid Growth
5. Easy Recovery

There’s always good and bad with everything. We already covered the bad so let’s talk about the good. For the customer, We are able to pick a different style and trends in a short period of time whether that’s instore or online.

It’s Fast! There’s no wait line or delay everything is assessable to us. If we need delivery or need to go instore we are able to get it in a timely fashion (lol get it)

Something New. It’s not repetitive or boring with fast fashion they try to keep up with the new trends so we feel like we’re getting stuff straight off the runway. This element keeps the consumer happy we’re always waiting for the next thing.

Rapid Growth and Easy Recovery are more for the industries benefit. Their loss prevention is really affected and they are able to make the same product over and over for a low price and gain financial benefit.

BRANDS 

You might ask what brands are Fast Fashion?

According to Rankerlist.com, the top 10 fast fashion brands are

1. Zara
2. H&M
3. Uniqlo
4. Forver21
5. Topshop 
6. Pull & Bear
7. Mango
8. Gap
9. Urban Outfitters
10. Fashion Nova

Before we reach the end of the article I wanted to get your feedback on which fast fashion brand you used more. I asked Which Fast Fashion brand did you prefer? Fashion Nova or Forever 21. I used these two brands cause they also cater to plus size woman clothing.

The results came in as 54% preferred Fashion Nova and 46% preferred Forever 21. There were 13 votes in total.

Below I will also supply pictures of myself and friends that wear fast fashion brands

There a lot of benefits and disadvantages to Fast Fashion and we talked about some of our favorite brands being fast fashion brands now I want to know your opinion on some of the things we talked about will we still spend our money for quantity or are we going to start looking for brands that have more quality? Comment below and tell me your opinion.

Hello My LIFESIZE Ladies, This is our 4th blog and I am very excited for the topic I am presenting. I decided to do a poll to see where you shop and get your opinions! The social media platform I used for the poll was twitter. The question I asked was “What is your favorite place to shop”?Simple right? The places I choose were all stores catering too plus size women apparel.

1. Forever 21-47%
2. Lane Bryant-7%
3. ASOS- 13%
4. Fashion Nova 33%

(Above is the percentage of people who voted for their favorite place and below is the link)

Polls Closed

I totaled about 15 votes from men and woman. What’s my opinion? I love all the stores and I believe that they cater to plus size woman in their own way. The difference between all of them are unique but they are keeping us cute and fashionable in the end so we aren’t left out! Now, Ladies I ask you to visit their stores online and retail and tell me what you think and let me know what favorite stores are if you didnt vote. Don’t forget leave a comment below.

 

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Hello Ladies, Let’s Dive into some of the topics I discussed in my introduction… Where to shop! I came across an article from IN style. They have twenty store choices for plus size clothes! The stores range from retail to online stores. I will list my top 7 picks.

According to instyle.com  “Plus-size-stores are a effort to make shopping for plus-size clothes a little easier, we’ve gathered our favorite plus-size retailers into one place. Some are department stores that you can easily run to your nearest mall and grab something new from. Others are online-only brands with plenty of on-trend options. Read on to discover our alphabetical guide to the best plus-size stores ahead.”

1. ASOS – I have personally shopped at ASOS and there clothes are amazing! They have name brand clothes ranging from sizes 0-28. There are great styles depending on how you want to dress. Another unique thing is they have a-lot of new designers clothes. Take a look! (online)
2. Boohoo– Boohoo is a great place for the basics. There clothes ranges from tube dress, skirts, bodysuits and jackets but they also have great statement pieces like neon blazers and snake skin body suits this site is great for my adventurous and basic LIFESIZE girls. (online)

3. Lane Bryant– Now, I work at Lane Bryant so I am the perfect advocate for this brand. I will say since I am younger so the age difference is sometimes lacking in the clothes and styles but they can still get a buy from me! The Bra’s are fantastic and there workout wear is awesome ladies another honorable mention is there workwear they have great pants wide leg and skinny! (retail&online)

4. New York & Co.– There are great styles and patterns and this store and this also for the LIFESIZE working woman they have great collaborations with Eva Mendes, Gabrielle Union and Kate Hudson. They well great blouses and workpants and jewerly so if you have a important interview or meeting coming up this should be your first stop. (retail&onine)

5. Good American– This brand was co-founded by Khloe Kardashian and it’s all about the Jeans! They are suppose to waist contour an hug your booty. I do not have a pair of Good American Jeans yet. But ,I will buy a pair after reading about it. There sizes also range from 00-24. (online)

6. SwimSuitsforAll– Yes ladies its getting towards summer time and this should be your favorite time to show skin! This site has bathing suits from bikinis to one pieces and cover ups. They have alot of patterns and also basic wear as well so this site is a must for our summer time fine ladies please take a look. (online)

7. Torrid-Torrid has great woman work wear. They also have very chic clothing but the greatest thing I found out about Torrid is they have beautiful formal gowns. This store also has great jeans and shirts and wide calf boots for a very affordable price. I will say again the age gap does deter me sometimes but overall I can still find some nice quality pieces at Torrid (online&retail)

Hello, My LIFESIZE friends, before we talk about the blog let’s get to know the writer. My name is Nia Davis I am currently a student at Shaw University. I am originally from Brooklyn, New York. I am from the capital of fashion. Growing up I would see certain styles. Styles can go from very urban to bohemian to workwear and all I had to do was get on a train. I then moved to Charlotte North Carolina. My style then changed things weren’t as flashy as New York. But, that didn’t mean my style had to pause because of my location. The thing I want you to know is I am here to help. I want you to reclaim your fashion as I did or find your fashion. When I was younger I was worried about the “look” “How can I fit in”? “Why can’t l just be smaller to wear what they wear” I even said once twice or actually a couple times in my life. “I could never wear that” or “my rolls or my stretch marks wouldn’t look good in that”. The one word I want you to remember is CONFIDENCE. This will help you along the way. I want to make you feel comfortable and beautiful and inspire you on how to find your style! Now let’s talk about the real reason your here.

LIFESIZE blog is to inspire, influence and encourage plus size woman to have a passion for fashion. Plus size woman and clothes always seems to be a difficult subject to talk about. I want to make it where this blog is an outlet for plus size woman who wants and needs to find their “style”. Question… Are you Vintage? Chic? Sophisticated? Tomboy? If you’re not sure that’s okay. These are things we will be discussing or maybe your like me and have more than one. Or maybe your not sure what those styles even are. That’s okay too. We will discuss all of these things and more

Let’s list some statistics According to Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health 53% of 13-year-old American girls are unhappy with their bodies. This number grows to 78% by the time girls reach 17. 69% said that the pictures influence their concept of the ideal body shape, 47% say the pictures make them want to lose weight. The ages of this study are from 9-15 years old. This too young for girls to feel this way about their bodies but this is our harsh reality we should embrace who we are at a young age instead our girls are facing this reality we need to teach how to love ourselves we cannot teach love if we don’t love ourselves. Plunkett Research estimates that 68 percent of American women wear a size 14 or above, up slightly from the frequently cited 67 percent figure is found in 2012.

This is something we cant avoid ladies we are growing and evolving and we want our look to grow and evolve with us. This number will grow within the years and we want to be counted in this time! In this blog, we will talk about your shape. What is your shape? We come in all shapes and sizes and I will talk and identify the 7 shapes and what clothes work with those shapes and body types. We will discuss my size and what I wear and the meaning of confidence. Then my favorite part. Shopping! This is not all we will talk about but I want you to know that we have some really exciting things we will discuss and I’m very happy you decided to take this journey with me. I am extremely open to any feedback or any ideas for future posts. Let’s have this experience together and become a fashionista in the making.